Self-winding clock.



' W. VANYOSDEL.

SELF'WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I. 1915 Patented July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' l ya@ dic/ez' VV. J. VAN O-SDEL.

SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 7,1915.

Patented July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 (52 I ff Q l STATE-s PATENT oFisici?. .v i'

j -To all whom t .concern WILLIAM J... van osDiiL, or tiriioit'ao,v ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR OF ONE-HALF. 'ro LOUISv .sPEnLINCQ OF' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. Y

l sELF-Wi'NDING CLOCK.

Beit -known that I, VVILLIAii/i Osma., a'citizen of the United States, residing. atChicago, in the. county of Cook. and

the circuit is made and broken.

State 'of-Illinois'have inventedcertain new and useful Improvementsin Self-Winding Clocks,- vofvwhich the followingis a specifi-` ,This invention relates to improvementster embodying gravity controlled means for.

actuating the same, and improvedvelectroresponsive meansfor positioning the said gravity means in an operative position, the said electro-responsive means embodying an armature for shifting the gravity controlled ineans'and having-improved means for overcoming-sparking between .the contacts vwhen A further object is to provide improved meansvfor maintaining a constant and steady operation of the balancewheel during the time that the gravity controlled operating means is shifted to an 'operative position.

.To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several` parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, and in which;

.Figure lis a rear elevation of an apparatus of this character, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a left hand end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken lon line -3-.3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4 4, Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings 'and in the present exempliication of this invention, the lnumeral 10 designates generally a framework of a clock movei. 'ment, Vhavin-g Athe usual balance wheel 11,

and 12 designates an .operating shaft by means of which motion is impartedto the clock movement, a ldial 13 being also provided and over which ldial thel hands 14 of the clock move.`

Connected with the shaft 12, and preferably exterior Ofthe supporting frame is a Specification of Letters Patent.

numeral 15 (see particularly-Fig, 4) and ders 18 and 19.

Loosely mounted upon the shoulder 18 is a ratchet wheel 20, and this ratchet Vwheel is held in place against displacement with respect to the collar by means of arm 21, which is in turn mounted upon the shoulder 19 and secured thereto for rotation therewith by means of a suitable fastening device 22, such as a set screw, so that when the arm 21 is rotated, the collar 15 and shaft 12 will be simultaneously" rotated, and vmoved relatively with respect to the ratchet wheel 20.

- Connected with the arm 21 is a. sprin 23, which extends parallel with the arm an one y Patented Ju1y.1`s','1,91`e. A Application filed .Tune 7, 1915. lSeria1ITo.32,484. i

g collar designated generally byv the'refer'ence J VAN' -this collar is heldA fast tothe shaft 12 by end 24 of the spring is normally spaced from yis moved -relatively with respect to the collar 15, the spring 23 will be compressed with respect to'the arm 21 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. Motionv is imparted to the ratchet wheel preferably by means of an arm 26 upon which ,is adjustably mounted a weight 27, and this arm is connected with the disk 17 the latter being pivotally supported as at 28.

Connected with the disk 17, preferably to an extension 17 n on the disk, is a 'pawl 29 which engages and coperates with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 2O and serves as a means for rotating the ratchet Wheel 20 when the arm 26 moves under the influence of the weight 27. A vretaining pawl 30 also coperates with the ratchet wheel 20 and serves the purpose of holding the ratchet Wheel against retrograde movement.

Pivotally mounted upon a suitable support, and intermediate itsl ends is an arm 31, having a weight' 32, and this arm is so ar-` ranged that the end 33 thereof projects into the path of a retrograde movement of a .pin or projection 34 on the disk 17, so that when the arm 26 is raised, in a manner to be .Sfet

forth, to an initial or starting position, the projection 34 will engage the end 33l of the arm 31 and will act as a stop for the arm .26.

l This weighted arm 31 also acts as a means forequalizing the weightedarm 26 so that when the latter is in a vertical position, and

less power isapplied to the gear train from tlie'arin 26, the weighted arm31 assists in initially moving the arm 26. This arm 31 also serves to prevent the arm 26 from being thrown too far. An adjustablestop 35 may also be provided for limiting the movement of the arm 31 in both directions. This stop 'f is pivotally supported by means of a screw v35*,'and has a laterally projecting portion extending over the arm, to be'engaged there- 1 by, and the stop Ais held in its adjusted pothe weighted arm 26 in a downward direcsition about its pivot yby, tightening Athe' screw 35a. l

an inoperative to an operative position .by any suitable electro-responsive device 36, which v'is supported in any suitable manner,

and batteries 37 'are provided which are conl nected with the coils of the electro-respon-- sive device. The batteries'37 are preferably incased within a casing 38, the cover 39 of which is here shown as serving' as a supportfor the clock mechanism. An armature 40 is provided ,which acts under the influence of lthe electro-responsive device, and this armature is provided wit-h a portion 41 in the shape of an arm which inclines backwardly' and projects for some distance above the Velectro-responsive device and terminates adjacent the ratchet wheel 20.

The arm41 is provided with a contact stud 42, and a contact 43 coperates'with the stud 42. This contact 43 is connected with 'but insulated from the arm 41 by means of suitable insulation 44, and the end of the contact 43 projects beyond the end of the arm 41 and is bent thereover as'at 45 so that the extremity '46 will be inclined as shown and terminates adjacent the stud 42, the extremity 46 also projecting into the path of movement of the stud or projection 34 on the disk 17.I With this arrangement all sparking is obviated, because when the weighted arm 26 moves the ratchet 20 and the disk 17, contact will be. first made between the,-

projection 34 on the disk and the extremity 46 of the contact 43 during the movement of The arm'26 is' adapted to be' moved from engagement with the 'contact`42, while lthe said extremity is still in engagement with the projection 34, thereby avoiding sparking the armature and the contact 4.6;,-

- When the electro-responsive device 36 is energized bythe conipletion of the circuit,

the armature 4() willbe attractedaindthis movement ofthe armature]will'. cause the arm 41 to be forced in a direction to4 rotate the. arm.26 about the pivot 28'tlirough the medium of the projection 34jonr`the disk 17 and thereby'raise the V'weighted arm 26 to an operative position. N Thearm will travel Vunder the influenceof the yarmature for al portion of its movement and the momentum 'imparted to the' arm-26 by the armaturewill cause the arm to 'travel a portion of its distance undei the influence of its'momentum,

the movement lof the arm being arrested by" means 'of the weighted arm 31. y

VVhe'n lthe circuit is broken, the stud- '42 .and contact 46 areirst separated and inasmuch as the contact .4o-is still in contact with -theV projection 34, no sparking will take place between the contacts 46 and 42,

operation ,of the parts,` and the springy na- Awith l.the .result that these contacts will not v Vbecome corroded, thereby always insuring ture of the contact 46 with respect to-tlie contact'42insures a slight sliding move ment of these two contacts, one with respect tothe other, which maintains both of the parts bright or polished, thereby obviating the necessity of the use of platinum. This sliding .action of the contacts 46, 42 is effected by reason of the springy nature of the contact 46,` llien the armature is attracted by the magnet to throw the weighted arni'26 upwardly and rotate the disk 17 backwardly, the disk and its attachment offer some mechanical resistance to the contact 46 through the medium of the contact 34, and as the disk rotates, the contact 34 slides along the contact 46, and pres sure will be exerted upon the contact 46 to one side of the contact 4Q. As thecontact 46 will yield under this pressure, the Icontacts 42, and 46 will have a sliding action one with relation to the othei'. This construction also necessitates only the use of 26 and .necessitates a minimum amount of current. When the arm 26 is traveling downwardly the projection 34 first engages if.;

the Contact 46, after which the contact 46 engages the contact 42.

In order to insure a steady movement to the balance wheel 11, and not interrupt the movement. of the balance wheel during the rising orsetting of the arm 26, the arm 21 and the spring 23 are provided. During the falling movement .of the arm 26,v the pin or project1on25on the ratchet Wheel 20 contacts with the spring 423 and inasmuch as the-ratchet wheel is loosely mounted has been relieved therefrom, to force the shaft 12`1`forwardly suiciently to maintain a steadymovement of the balance wheel Vwhiie thearm 26 is being raised. This operation1-will -be repeated as long as the batteries last. i

vVV'th'this improved construction, it will be .manifest that all of the parts are exposed and all, of the operating or winding mechanism is mounted outside of the clock frame so that easy access may be had thereto. Furthermore, the part is of a single' l'piece constructionand is secured to the shaft I12 bythe single fastening device 16,

so that by releasing the fastening device the parts 15, 2() and 21, may be readily removed from the shaft 12 without dismantling* any of the rest of the mechanism.

Thile the preferred form of construction has beenherein shown and described` it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction, and in the lcombination and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit of this-invention.

What is claimed a s new is:

1. A self-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, gravity actuated means for sparking to take place between only one of the said spaced contacts and the said additionalcontact.

2. A self-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, gravity actuated means for actuating the shaft, electrically actuated means for returning the gravit-y actuated means, said electrically actuated means embodying spaced contacts and an additionai contact disposed therebetween, said spaced contacts and said additional contact being,r movable into and out of engagement with `each other, and provisions for causing sparking to take place between only one of the said'spaced contacts and the said additionalcontact, one of said contacts operating upon another of the contacts to cause the latter and the remaining contact 'to have a sliding engagement one with respect to the other.

3. A self-winding clock embodying clock mechanism, said mechanism embodying a -shaft, a ratchet wheel loosely connected with the shaft, a yielding connection between the shaft and Wheel, said connection embodying an arm, a yielding member connected with and protected by the arm and having a portion spaced from said arm, and a pin adapted to vcontact with the yielding member to exert stress upon the same in a direction toward the arm, said arm and yielding member, and said pin'being connected one with the shaft and the other with the ratchet wheel, a weighted actuating element, a pawl connected with the elementand coperat- .ing with the ratchet wheel for actuating the latter, and electro-responsive means -for moving the weighted element from'y an inoperative to an operative position with respect to the ratchet Wheel.

4. A self-winding clock, embodying clock mechanism, said Amechanism embodying a shaft, a ratchet wheel loosely connected with -the shaft, a yielding connection between the shaft and wheel said connection embodying an arm, a leaf spring connected with and protected by the arm and having a portion spaced from said arm, and a pin adapted to contact with the yielding member to exert stress upon the same in a direction toward the arm, said arm and yielding vmember, and said pin being connected one with the shaft andthe other with the ratchet wheel, a weighted actuating element, a pawl connected with the element and coperating with the ratchet Wheel for actuating the latter, and electro-responsive means for movin the Weighted element from an inoperative to an ,)p--erative position with respect to th ratchet wheel, said Weighted element being moved a portion of its distanceby its own momentum. i

5. A self-winding clock vembodying an operating shaft, a pivotally mounted weighted element for actuating the shaft, pawl4 and ratchet connection between the element and the shaft, .and electro-responsive means for returning the said element, said electro-responsive means embodying spaced contacts and an intermediate element into and out of engagement with which both contacts are movable when the circuit of the electro-responsive means is made and broken,A the said element operating to cause sparking to take place between said element and only one of the said spaced contacts.

6. A lself-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, ,'a weighted element for actuating the shaft, pawl. and ratchet connection between the pivotally mounted" 'so l of the electro-responsive means is made and broken, the said element having a slidlng engagement with both of said spacedcontacts and operating tocause sparking tol take place between said element and only one of the said spaced contacts.

7. A self-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, a pivotally mounted weighted operating element, a pawl and ratchet connection between the said shaftl and element, electro-responsive means for returning the said element from an inoperative position to an operative position., and a second pivotally mounted weighted element coperating with the first recited element and operating to initially move the latter in an operative direction.

l8. A self-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, a pivotally mounted weighted operating element, a pawl and ratchet connection betweenthe said shaft and element, electro-responsive means for returning the said element from an inoperative position to an operative position, and a second pivotally mounted weighted element coperating with the first recited element and operating to initially move the latter in an operative direction, said second pivotally mounted element also operating to limit the return movement of the first recited element. l

9. A self-winding clock embodying an operating shaft, a pivotally mounted weighted operating element, a pawl and ratchet connection between the said shaft and element, electro-responsive means for returning the said element from an inoperative to an operative position, a Second pivotally mounted weighted element cooperating with the first recited element and operating to initially move the latterin an operative direction, and an adjustable stop for limiting the movement of the second recited element. 1 v

l0. A self-winding clock embodying clock 'mechanism, and a supporting lframe in which the mechanism 1s arranged, sald mechanism embodying a driving shaft proj ecting beyond the frame, a pivotally mount'- ed actuating member, a collar detachably secured to the shaft for rotation therewith, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted upon the collar and ratchet mechanism being disposed outside of the frame, and ele'ctroresponsive means for controlling the said actuatingA element.

In testimony whereof I have signedrmy 4name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,on this 3rd day of June A. D. 1915.

' TILLIAM J; VAN OSDEL. vWitnesses LoUis SPERLING, J. H. Joe/HUM, Jr.

lar, an element connected with the collar 

